daytrades oct 26 afternoon, page-2

Thanks highlandlad!

1pm - 'Economic news' courtesy reminder time Traders!

'Market Focus' in the US this evening

"Consumer spirits have been sliding even while the economic outlook has steadied and the stock market has rallied." [Source: nasdaq.com., Mark Pender]

'Market Reflections' from the last trading session (25.10.2010)

"The G-20 said they don't a want currency war yet a lack of specifics helped make for a new dip in the dollar, with the dollar index down 0.5 percent at 77.06. Conviction is more uniform than ever that the Fed will launch a second round of quantitative easing at next week's FOMC meeting -- a forced certainty from the markets that helped give the Dow a small lift to over 11,160." [Source: nasdaq.com., Mark Pender]
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Of note in the US this evening:-

S&P Case-Shiller HPI [ Merits extra attention]
[The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index tracks monthly changes in the value of residential real estate in 20 metropolitan regions across the U.S. The composite indexes and the regional indexes are seen by the markets as measuring changes in existing home prices and are based on single-family home resales. The key composite series are for the longer-running, original 10-city composite series and the newer and expanded 20-city composite. A national index is published quarterly.]

Consumer Confidence [ Merits extra attention]
[The Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell nearly five points in September to 48.5 for the lowest level since the beginning of the year. And worries still focus on the job market. Those saying jobs are currently hard to get rose four tenths to 46.1 percent for the largest share since March. Despite recent declines in initial jobless claims, consumers see companies as not engaged in healthy hiring now or down the road. Employment expectations six months out show sharp deterioration. There may not be much improvement in confidence in October. Gasoline prices have firmed and the job picture is showing little net change.]

Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index (Oct) [ Moderate volatility expected]
[The survey including information on shipments, new orders, order backlogs, and inventories conducted by Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond provides information on current activity in the manufacturing sector (mailing 220 business organizations). The industry inflation can been seen from the survey. Generally speaking, a high reading appreciates (or is bullish for) the USD, whereas a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish for) the USD.]

ICSC-Goldman Store Sales
[This weekly measure of comparable store sales at major retail chains, published by the International Council of Shopping Centers, is related to the general merchandise portion of retail sales. It accounts for roughly 10 percent of total retail sales.]

State Street Investor Confidence Index
[The State Street Investor Confidence Index measures confidence by looking at actual levels of risk in investment portfolios. This is not an attitude survey. The State Street Investor Confidence Index measures confidence directly by assessing the changes in investor holdings of equities. The more of their portfolio that institutional investors are willing to invest in equities, the greater their confidence.]

ABC/Washington Post Consumer Confidence (Oct 24)
[The ABC/Washington Post Consumer Confidence released by ABC News and the Washington Post captures the level of confidence that individuals have in economic activity reflecting respondents' evaluations of their personal financial situation. Generally, a high level of consumer confidence stimulates economic expansion while a low level drives to economic downturn. Generally speaking, a high reading is seen as positive (or bullish) for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).]

Housing Price Index (MoM) (Aug)
[The Housing Price Index released by the Office of Federal Reserve Housing Enterprise Oversight provides an estimated value of housing market conditions. It is an important indicator as the housing market is considered as a sensitive factor to the US economy. Generally speaking, a high reading is seen as positive (or bullish) for the USD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or bearish).]

Redbook
[A weekly measure of sales at chain stores, discounters, and department stores. It is a less consistent indicator of retail sales than the weekly ICSC index. It is also calculated differently than other indicators.]

4-Week Bill Auction; and 2-Yr Note Auction
[Treasury bills are sold at public auctions every week; Treasury notes are sold at regularly scheduled public auctions.]

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... AND ...
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Of note in Australia tomorrow:-

Consumer Price Index (QoQ) (YoY) (Q3) [ High volatility expected]
[The Consumer Price Index released by the RBA and republished by the Australian Bureau of Statistics is a measure of price movements by the comparison between the retail prices of a representative shopping basket of goods and services . The purchase power of AUD is dragged down by inflation. The CPI is a key indicator to measure inflation and changes in purchasing trends. A high reading is seen as positive (or bullish) for the AUD, while a low reading is seen as negative (or Bearish).]

[Sources used: nasdaq.com & fxstreet.com]
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ASX Market Watch (widget snapshot)



Gold Spot Price atm (Kitco)

... and the DOW futures are currently Up 1 point atm (Live)!